1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed toward an apparatus for safe, effective forced entry of a house or building. In particular, the present invention is directed toward a device for safely, quickly and efficiently prying an outwardly opening door.
2. Background Information
In today's society, it is becoming increasingly vital for emergency personnel to gain entry into a locked house or building. For instance, a fire fighter or rescue worker must enter a burning or otherwise dangerous, locked structure in order to save the lives of the citizens trapped inside. On the other end of the spectrum law enforcement or military personnel must tactically gain forced entry into a structure in order to capture and subdue individuals in the process of carrying out their respective duties. The foregoing situations and the endless variants lying in between each have a common goal: quick, safe, and effective forced entry of a locked structure.
In response, numerous methods and tools for gaining forced entry into a locked structure have been developed. Such methods and tools range from large, heavy rams used to break down doors to shotgun blasts or explosive devices used to disable the door's locking device. However, probably the most widely used tool for gaining such forced entry is the Halligan or breaching bar, favored for the speed with which it can be used for prying an outwardly opening door.
The Halligan or breaching bar is a multipurpose prying tool consisting of a claw, a blade, an extended handle, and a pick. The pick end of the tool is useful for breaking through many types of locked doors. At the other end of the tool, the claw/blade is used to break in through an outwardly swinging door by forcing the tool between the door and doorjamb and prying the two apart by pulling on the length of handle separating the pick end from the claw/blade end. Typically, the use of such a breaching bar requires at least two persons. One person is required to operate the breaching bar and the other to operate a sledge hammer. The breaching bar operator inserts the smooth blade between the door and the doorjamb while holding the handle end of the bar. The hammer operator then strikes the backside of the blade end of the tool with the hammer in order to penetrate the opening. Finally, the breaching bar operator leverages the tool by pulling on the breaching bar, forcing the door open outwardly. Consequently, it is not until the door is completely forced open that the breaching bar operator's position is clear from the front of the door opening.
Although the typical breaching bar that is commonly used by law enforcement and military personnel works well in its present form and variants thereof, its use places the operator in a most dangerous position. For instance, in tactical scenarios, the individuals opening the door may be subject to gunfire through the door at the time of entry. Consequently, this area in front of the door has been dubbed the “fatal funnel”. As will be discussed in greater detail, the design of the Halligan bar necessitates that its operator stand in front of the door from the time that the breaching bar is positioned for insertion between the door and the doorjamb to the time the door is pried open. Thus, the breaching bar operator is positioned in the “fatal funnel” for an extended period during a forced tactical entry.
Additionally, whether members of the tactical team are in the “fatal funnel” or not, their lives are at risk. This is especially true for the breaching bar operator because he/she is not weapon ready when performing the breach. However, it is also true for the hammer operator for the same reason; thus, two team members are momentarily defenseless against attack rather than merely one.
Finally, during a tactical breach, not only are the lives of the entry team at risk, but the lives of countless hostages or other innocent bystanders may also be at risk. This situation demands that speed and surprise be the key ingredients to a successful tactical entry. Unfortunately, entry teams have found that currently available breaching bars have an additional shortcoming that can lead to disastrous effects for all involved. All to often, the smooth blade slips out of the space between the door and the doorjamb during the prying process forcing the team into an additional attempt. Consequently, precious time is wasted, which leads to needless loss of life.
In view of the limitations of products currently known in the art, a tremendous need exists for a breaching bar that allows an single operator to safely and efficiently gain forced entry through an outwardly opening door. Applicant's invention, by its novel design provides a solution in view of currently available devices.